The Searching Wind is a 1946 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Robert Young, Sylvia Sidney, and Ann Richards. It is based on the play of the same name by Lillian Hellman.[1] It had originally been planned for producer Hal Wallis to make the film at Warner Bros., but after he left the studio he brought the project to Paramount Pictures.[2]
The Searching Wind | |
---|---|
Directed by | William Dieterle |
Screenplay by | Lillian Hellman |
Based on | The Searching Wind 1944 play by Lillian Hellman |
Produced by | Hal Wallis |
Starring | Robert Young Sylvia Sidney Ann Richards |
Cinematography | Lee Garmes |
Edited by | Warren Low |
Music by | Victor Young |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
In 1945, after hearing of the death of Mussolini, an American career diplomat and his family reflect on his mistakes he made during the interwar years.[3]
Hellman's play debuted on Broadway in 1944 and ran for 318 performances. Montgomery Clift was in the original cast which was directed by Herman Shumlin.[4]
Hellman later said it was "The nearest thing to a political play" she had written "which is probably why I don't like it much any more. But even there I meant only to write about nice, well born people who, with good intentions, helped to sell out a world."[5]
Hal Wallis bought the screen rights for $100,000. Wallis had made a film of Hellman's Watch on the Rhine while head of Warner Bros. Hellman did the script. It was one of the first films Wallis made as a producer at Paramount.[6]
Richards' casting was announced in September 1944. Joseph Cotten turned down the male lead.[7][8]
Filming started 13 December 1945.[9]
Variety thought the film "isn't likely to hold the run-of-the-miiie entertaiument-goer looking for escapist stuff" and "should earn back its coin... for though well-mounted, it nevertheless doesn't appear too heavily budgeted. , The film is an improvement on the Broadway play... because it is more coherent, and better acted."[10]